Freshmen can get a head start on UMES life

PRINCESS ANNE, MD
- (May 21,
2014) – Select members of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s Class of
2018 will get a head start on their college experience as participants in two
“Summer Bridge” programs designed specifically for new students.

Both provide a preview of
life inside a college classroom and out over a six-week period, according to
Dr. Stephanie L. Krah, director of UMES’ Center for Access and Academic
Success.

Up to 100 freshmen will
have a chance to earn six credits, three in English and three in math, by
enrolling in the Summer Enrichment Academy (SEA), which runs from June 22 to
Aug. 1.

Preparation and
Adjustment for College Entrance (PACE), the other program, is for 50 high
school graduates with provisional offers of admission from UMES and will be
held during the same six-week stretch.

Participants in both
programs will live in Murphy Hall, a residence hall on the university’s
historic Academic Oval.

Both of the extended
orientation efforts are part of UMES’ strategy of laying a foundation for new
students to be successful right away and to finish their undergraduate work in
four years.

“We often find that
(freshmen) are anxious about going off to college, or unsure of how they will
make friends,” Krah said. “Our programs allow for students to really get an
opportunity to get a jump start their college career.”

Krah’s eight-member staff
will partner with 10-to-12 UMES professors who have signed on to work with the
students.

“We think it is important
for new students to be comfortable interacting with faculty, staff and
administrators,” Krah said. “Everyone here wants to see them succeed” and
graduate.

Credits earned by the 100
students in the SEA program will count toward the total needed to earn a
degree. Tuition, room and board range from $1,600 (in-state) to $2,900
(out-of-state).

The 50 PACE program
participants will, in effect, be auditioning for spots in the next freshman
class by working closely with instructors to brush up on their ability to do
college-level reading writing and math.

“We want to help those
students we believe have the potential to be successful and to get an
understanding of what they can expect in college,” Krah said. “Our message is:
‘You have potential’.”

Krah said PACE students’
progress will be monitored closely and participants have the opportunity to
earn admission for the fall semester, which begins Aug. 25. The PACE program
fee is $700.

Krah said she and her
staff will follow Summer Bridge program participants closely during the 2014-15
academic year by tracking their progress, holding occasional workshops and
scheduling mandatory meetings with academic advisers.

For more information,
contact the Center for Access and Academic Success at (410) 651-6215.